Plot : Best friends Ishaan, Omi and Govind – young, ambitious and restless – are trying to make a mark in the India of the early 2000’s. These are exciting times – a new millennium has just dawned, India’s a nuclear power and ostensibly shining – a perfect place for the 3 Ahmedabad boys to start a business that could be their ticket to fame and riches. In a country where cricket is religion, they hit upon a brilliant plan – to start a training academy that could produce India’s next sporting superstars! What follows is without doubt the greatest adventure of their lives, as they attempt to navigate the big hurdles in the path of fulfilling their dreams. Based on Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling novel “The 3 Mistakes of My Life”, Kai Po Che (meaning a triumphant yell in Gujarati) is an unforgettable ode to friendship and the magical moments one shares with one’s closest pals – celebrating festivals, drunken dancing, watching cricket matches together, strategizing on how to catch the attention of the cute neighborhood girl, being there to watch each other’s back in troubled times and to celebrate one’s successes by screaming “Kai Po Che”!

What’s Good: The magical Bromance well fitted in an enigmatic story, enacted to delightful perfection.

What’s Bad: Well, some films touch so deep that they appear pristinely flawless.

Loo break: Don’t even consider taking one.

Watch or Not?: Kai Po Che culminates into a celebration of good cinema. Watch it for Abhishek Kapoor’s engaging narrative and the power packed performances of the actors.

User Rating:

Adding a fresh perspective to Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling novel ‘The 3 Mistakes of my Life’, Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che is more than a mere retelling of a story already established brilliant.

Set in Ahmedabad, the story narrates the obsessive fixation of Indians with Cricket, Politics and Religion –all of which cross paths quite occasionally in this country! The main protagonists Govind, Ishaan and Omi have been friends forever. While Govind is the geek who is in love with Ish’s sister Vidya, he is also a fiercely ambitious and selfish businessman. Ish is the valiant crusader struggling to tailor his desires of playing cricket and fit into a regular mundane life battling failure. Omi, religiously inclined by proxy, entangles himself in a web of right wing and saffron colored politics.

The boys team up to set a small business with more than a little help from Omi’s Bittoo Mama. Ishaan, a cricketing God in his school days begins to train young cricketers. Their little smooth world falls prey to the cruel wishes of nature and religious politics. The inseparable friends must stand strongly by each other, but each of them is wronged at their individual levels. Is their friendship frail enough to wither away or do they pull through stronger passing the immensely rigid tests of their friendship? The film attempts to deliver a strong message of pain, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Kai Po Che Review: Script Analysis

There is a hardly a soul in the audience who is not well acquainted with the script of the film. It is only Kapoor’s witted treatment of Bhagat’s novel that creates Kai Po Che. The story which begins as a fun filled, quirky tale of brotherly romance transitions into a hitting saga of social commentary with utmost brilliance. Kai Po Che is a flawless film which renders to its original story a newer vision. The film calls to evoke the nascent emotions of the quintessential Indian Middle Class. With most stories shifting towards urban dilemmas, this one is beautiful for its simplicity sticking regionally to a rather native India. The friendship of the three young friends is believable; their story is filled with innocent and contagious mirth. The film sensitively puts together the gruesome tales of Godhra Riots and the Gujrat Earthquake with a mystic touch of humanity. The film’s story religiously bows down to Bhagat’s novel only adding an additional flashy zest of Kapoor’s style of narration. It is a plot that visibly grows in its two hours of running time bringing home the harsher realities of life that presses every human being. The themes of religion, politics are cricket enmesh well at the crossroads, yet remaining watertight in its demarcated boundaries. Despite a multitude of complexities, the script itself stands strong to support the characters, which becomes the film’s stronghold.

Kai Po Che Review: Star Performances

It is hard to pick up a favorite among them. Personally, I admired Sushant Singh Rajput. He delivers one of Bollywood’s most powerful debut performances. Playing a character as complex as Ishaan, Sushant makes it look simple. He conveys the notion that he has been living inside the skin of his character for a while now. Laced with tremendous potential, it isn’t hard to predict that this man will go far in Bollywood.

Raj Kumar Yadav, yet again proves his worth. Govind symbolizes the no-nonsense, no-emotional businessman and Yadav plays his role with sincere conviction. With minimal words, this man conveys larger emotions of pain and anger creating an omnipresent space for his character.

Amit Sadh who largely underplays his role, keeping in sync with the essence of his blunt character Omi delivers an awe striking performance in the climax where he breaks down. He strongly pulls through the revenge hungry cannibal rage and his loyalty towards his friends brilliantly.

Amrita Puri is confident and adequate as Vidya. She exhibits childish humor and adolescent desires fabulously. The good thing about her role is that she is independent of the bromance track.

Manav Kaul as Bittoo Mama stands out shrewdly.

Kai Po Che Review: Direction, Music & Technical Aspects

Abhishek Kapoor is a man who truly understands film making. I give credit to him to reinvigorate freshness into a well read story and make a film on it which still somehow manages to pleasantly surprise you at every scene. Positively deviant, this man is journeying to join the Crème de le crème league of Bollywood directors. He manages to consistently maintain the film’s realism without going melodramatically overboard (given the story). The film’s cinematography is spotlessly perfect, nurturing every nuance in the fine detail, from the locales to the expressions, it is fantastically done. The vibrant use of color adds beauty to the most mundane frames. The screenplay is magical with Bhagat’s Midas touch on it. Amit Trivedi’s music is soothing and doesn’t intervene with the film’s flow. Manja is one gorgeous song! The background score rather enhances the depth of the film. Enveloping with friendship, one of most horrific and tragic tales of communal disturbances – the film is justifiably brilliant for being non judgmental and siding unbiased-ly with the victimized.

Kai Po Che Review: The Last Word

Kai Po Che is a film with a strongly weaved story brimming with realism and excellence. Here’s finally a film that is meant to attain cult status and not blur out in the plethora of mediocrity. Kudos to this spectacular film!